A Halloween Card From Hallmark

While it's true that I do prefer vintage cards over new, sometimes I see a new card and simply cannot resist it. I'm also a huge fan of the Hallmark company, and when I saw this great Halloween card, I had to have it:
The black background is glittery. I decided that rather than sending it to a friend, I need to keep it to add to my decorations every year.

May only the best things cross your path today.
And have a Happy Halloween!

"Jack-O'-Lantern" by Dorothy Aldis

Just sharing this sweet little poem for Halloween - with the charming illustrations from a vintage book - for your enjoyment today:


Made you smile, too - didn't it?

Found: Fabulous Fabric

I found a pair of these fantastic, funky, psychedelic, fluorescent, fabric remnants at a thrift store, and I just wanted to show them to you.

This fabric is as BRIGHT as it can possibly be, like some sort of a technicolor tie-dyed daydream.

Now, if that doesn't wake you up this morning, nothing will!
Have another cup of coffee.......

Pastels Were All The Rage

For a time in the 70's, all I wanted were clothes that were pink, blue, light purple, light green and yellow. I loved the combinations of those colors in a soft, pretty plaid. Plaid skirts with soft sweaters? Perfect!
I had a yellow angora sweater vest that I absolutely loved in high school. (Yes, that is Susan Dey again on the left, below. These fashion layouts and ads are from my Seventeen magazines - of course.)
Pastel sweaters and a vest in color blocks and stripes are featured in the ad below. Now, I admit, I do NOT care for those polyester pants. Nope, I liked my Levi's, and I had some aqua corduroy bell bottoms that I loved. I remember wearing them to school, and to Friday night football games. I had pink sweaters and aqua sweaters. Like I said - that was all I wanted to wear!

I wore this striped fuzzy acrylic sweater with those aqua cords! I found it packed away in a box, and it inspired me to write this post:

And here is a pink and blue pastel hooded sweater that I also somehow managed to hold onto for all of these years:

Here's hoping you have a cozy, colorful, pastel, plaid, striped, warm and fuzzy fall.

OLE!

I've been known to hark back occasionally to previous posts. (Or maybe more often than that.) Do you recall the one where I told you about the furniture I fell in love with as a pre-teen? (Can a person "fall in love" with furniture? I'm here to tell you that this person CAN - and did.)
Click here to view my post from last year about the "Ole" collection by Stanley Furniture.
So - you knew this was coming, right? Guess what I found?!
A twin size head and foot board and rails.

After I had it in the car, I started doubting myself, thinking things like:
"Is it really Ole - or is it one of the look-alikes?".
And, "Are you SURE it's really Ole?".
Because you see, if it wasn't - well, then I wouldn't really want it at all.
"But I could always sell it."
"And the price was right."
As soon as I was able to get on the internet, I checked my pictures.
And my heart sank, "Oh - it's NOT the same."
For this is what I saw:

But as I scrolled down, I realized that the first photo was of the FULL size bed, which IS different. And that yes, indeed, mine is an Ole.


I don't even have a twin mattress for it, I don't have the slats for it, and - last but certainly not least- I don't have a place to put it, either.
And my husband might kill me when he reads this. (He hasn't seen it yet.)

But it is only the second piece of this furniture that I have seen (in person) in about 40 years, and I absolutely, positively, could not leave it at the thrift store.
If you don't understand, I'm sorry. But I couldn't do it.
Because I am still in love.

And I've Found Some Books, Too....

That doesn't surprise anyone, does it?
I love these 1970's Better Homes And Gardens books:
Here's yet another great vintage one from BH&G; a Christmas one this time, from 1966. You may recall that I have written about my love for Farm Journal books before. I also added a little cookie book to my Peter Pauper Press collection!
This huge Dressmaking book is full of lovely ideas like those shown below it:



I love children's books, and couldn't pass up Winnie The Pooh's cookbook, either:

Good Housekeeping's "Guide" looked interesting, and I always snap up reasonably priced Betty Crocker cookbooks to put in the shop:
Most of these books were either a quarter or fifty cents, and I guess I'm a book hoarder, as I seem unable to resist them. Look at these cute vintage Hallmark "housewarming" cards I found, too:
Now, having grown up in El Dorado County, California, you did not expect me to pass up a book with this title, did you?

No, I didn't think you would.

An Autumn Drive To Lake Tahoe

Sis Lori here: Tina and I went on a day trip up to Lake Tahoe recently to seek out some fall color.The weather was beautiful the day we chose. We went from Placerville, out to Pleasant Valley, up through Sly Park to Mormon Immigrant, onto Highway 88, over to Highway 89, to Hwy 50, into Lake Tahoe, where we had lunch, then home on Hwy 50 to Placerville.
It was a weekday, so traffic was very minimal. There was roadwork here and there, but no long delays.
We stopped roadside and took pictures throughout the drive.
Here is a photo of Silver Lake:

We found these pretty trees:

They were blasting up at Carson Pass:

Some fall color:

Not all of the trees have changed yet, it was just beginning:

This area is called Hope Valley:

Lots of other cars were stopped like us, snapping photos:

When we arrived at the "Y" we went to the left of the lake towards Camp Richardson and ate at a lakeside restaurant 'The Beacon'.

Tina at our window table:

Our view of the lake outside our window.

The bar at The Beacon. Apparently they are famous for their drink 'Rumrunner' and sell the mix for you to make at home. I did not have one since I was the designated driver, but will try it one day!!

Tina's lunch, a Caesar salad with salmon on top:

My sandwich was turkey, cheese, bacon and avocado on a croissant. It was delicious. They also serve garlic fries, I should have tried those! I will have to go back, I guess.

We had a great day, it was a very nice little getaway. Love the lake, it's gorgeous up there!

More Of My Finds

I always think it's odd when I seem to find things on the same day in different thrift stores that fall within the same color scheme, and/or sort of go together in some way. An example of that is the assortment of items below: a roll of vintage floral wallpaper, a sunflower tray, vintage wrapping paper, vintage avocado green Rubbermaid turntable. (The lizard earrings were free; I just threw them in for fun):
And other times I simply find an assortment of various odds and ends, such as this little vintage doll dresser that I like to imagine was handmade by a father for his little girl years ago:
An old clock face so pretty that I don't mind if it can't give me the time any longer. Perhaps I could add a new clockwork kit, and then again, perhaps it could be done by someone else:

I found a lovely little covered trinket dish that reminds me of Majolica - not sure whether it is or not, but I sure do like it!

A Balanoff "wood grain" metal Portafile:
I didn't know about "Colored Dot" dominoes! These are from 1970:
A lovely fabric remnant - do you think they are supposed to be thistles? Love the colors on this, and I only wish there had been more of it!

The Good Housekeeping Book Of Cake Decorating

I have wanted a copy of this fabulous book ever since I first laid eyes on it. And luckily, I found one about a week ago at a thrift store for one dollar. My kind of price.

The nice man at the register asked me if I decorate cakes.
Um...no.
But I like cake! Surely that counts for something, right?
And besides, who can resist beautiful photographs like the ones inside this volume? Like these Christmas ones:


A cake that is horseshoe-shaped is just right for little cowboys and cowgirls:

An adorable red barn cake:

The sweetest little procession of cakes for a shower or small wedding:

And an assortment of party cakes:

Today is my birthday, and I'm not sure whether or not I will have cake. I'm trying to be a good Weight Watcher, and being in the presence of cake makes that difficult.
I'm just happy that I have the day off!